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The brand new 2006 Minnesota gardening calendar is now available. Full of timely gardening tips and beautiful flower gardening photos with big boxes to write in.

Did you know that the Chisago County Master Gardeners also stock a wonderful selection of books and calendars for your special someone or for yourself. These items can be purchased at the University of Minnesota Extension Office, in North Branch, at 38780 Eighth Ave. (right across the street from the Lake State Credit Union).

•What's Doin' the Bloomin'? Have you ever been out walking and wondered what the name of a particular wildflower is? This beautifully photographed book is a pictorial guide to wildflowers of the Upper Great Lakes Regions, Eastern Canada and Northeastern U.S.A.

•Butterfly Gardening: Residential and commercial development is destroying natural wildlife habitat. Wherever possible, we need to encourage habitat restoration in order to encourage butterfly and songbird populations. Butterfly gardening can be one positive step in that direction.

•Ornamental Grasses for Cold Climates: Ornamental grasses add beauty and interest to the garden. Their dramatic change through the seasons gives a new dimension to the garden: an informal, natural look that is unique and refreshing. The information in this booklet should be useful to gardeners, nurseries, garden centers, landscape designers, and homeowners who live and garden in cold climates of the U.S.

•Landscaping for Wildlife: Ideas on plants and trees to use in different landscape settings; bird and wildlife feeder designs; weed and pest control for gardens, yards, and tree planting; and much, much more.

•Wild About Birds: A Department of Natural Resources Bird Feeding Guide with beautiful photos of birds and bird feeders along with patterns for making feeders.

•Woodworking for Wildlife: General birdhouse, bird platform, and next box instructions, along with birdhouse pest problem and control information.

•Lakescaping for Wildlife and Water Quality: If you own lakeshore property, you need this book. Are you tired of spending your quality time at the lake mowing grass, chasing geese off the lawn, and watching the lake turn lime green with algal blooms? There is an alternative. This book shows how to plan and plant a diverse natural lakeshore landscape to restore wildflowers, and clean water. The principles and techniques in this book are also applicable for landscaping along rivers, streams, and wetlands.

•So Easy To Preserve: Canning, freezing, and drying are the three main methods of preserving food. The method you choose to use should depend on whether safe guidelines are available for the particular food you have, and which method best suits your needs. This book will help you save some of the bounty of your garden, and it has ideas for gifts that mean so much to your family and friends.

•Edible Wild Mushrooms: A bulletin in black and white that illustrates and describes 50 common species of mushrooms. It also has a section on mushroom cookery.

Stop by our office to take a closer look at any of these items.

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In Your Yard and Garden

Be sure to periodically check your house plants for ny signs of insects, especially if they were outside this summer. Crinkled, rolled or distorted leaves as well as white, black or shiny deposits on leaves will often be noticed before you see the actual insects. Most can be controlled with insecticidal soap. Unless you have supplemental lighting most plants will put out weak and leggy growth during the winter months, so cut back on watering and quit fertilizing your plants until next spring.

Ways to Access Information

Voice mail: The voice mail is checked year round. Leave a message at 651-674-4417, ext. 18 and a Master Gardener will return your call.

www.extension.umn.edu/county/chisago: Check out the 'Hot Topics' box in the middle of the page for current Chisago County Master Gardener news and events. You can also click on 'Ask a Master Gardener' next to the cute little flower on the right hand side of the page. Here you can search 1000's of answers from Master Gardeners around the state. If you don't find your answer you can submit a question online or search for University publications.

Bell Museum of Natural History: For information about snakes, skunks, raccoons or other wildlife around your yard, call the wildlife information line at (612) 624-1374 or www.bellmuseum.org.

To see the latest Yard and Garden newsletter, go to: http://www.extension.umn.edu/yardandgarden/YGLNews/YGLNews.html

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